Three Days In Tokyo
by koinekid
Summary: Rurouni Kenshin x-over. After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater’s Well. Finding themselves in Meiji era Tokyo, they must join the Kenshin gume to defend Kagome’s ancestors
1. Three Days in Tokyo

Standard disclaimers apply:  
  
Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.  
  
Three Days In Tokyo  
  
By  
  
koinekid  
  
Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The silver-haired hanyou descended at a tremendous speed from the apex of his vertical jump. He held his sword, the mighty Tessaiga, high above his head, and despite his obvious fatigue, Inu Yasha allowed a tiny smile to curl his lips as he announced his attack, "Kaze no kizu!" The sword never made contact with the flesh of his opponent, a fifty-foot tall ogre with malevolent crimson eyes and skin as black as a moonless night. But then, the kaze no kizu attack did not require physical contact. Inu Yasha's hyper- keen senses, inherited from his youkai father, allowed him to discern the exact spot that a youkai's spiritual energy intersected with his own. By directing Tessaiga's swing at that spot, called the wind scar, he could send a massive wave of energy hurtling at the youkai's most vulnerable spot, easily finishing it off. So powerful was the technique that a single swing could slay one hundred youkai. Consequently, despite the ogre's size, taking it down would be no problem.  
  
Higurashi Kagome chewed the tip of her index finger, the nail having retreated too far back for her incisors to grasp. Inu Yasha had proven capable of taking care of himself. She had no reason to worry about him, but that didn't ease her tension. She bit into the nail of her middle finger just as a pair of tiny arms wrapped around her neck. A sharp inhalation caused a tiny piece of nail to break off and enter her mouth.  
  
"Look, Kagome," cried the tiny kitsune that had just hopped into one of his favorite positions, dangling precariously from the girl's shoulders. "Inu Yasha did it."  
  
Kagome coughed as the bit of fingernail scratched her throat. "Hai," she said, "He did."  
  
She started forward to congratulate Inu Yasha, but blinked in surprise at the absence of any light. In her apprehension, Kagome had forgotten the ogre had appeared shortly before dusk. And apparently the kaze no kizu had coincided with the last rays of sunlight. By the time the light from its energy dissipated, night had fallen.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
"Inu Yasha?" Kagome called. She bit her lip. She thought she detected pain in his voice. She scanned the area where he should have landed. His silver hair should have stood out even in the dark. "Where are you?"  
  
"I'm over here."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Right in front of you."  
  
Kagome sighed in relief. Inu Yasha's tone was more annoyed than pained. "I can't see you."  
  
"Keh."  
  
"Well, some of us don't have cat eyes like you."  
  
"Cat eyes!? You insulting me?"  
  
"Osuwari!"  
  
Inu Yasha cried out. He really was in pain.  
  
"Shippou," Kagome shouted, "Use foxfire to light up the sky. Quickly!"  
  
The kitsune obliged, illuminating the night. It was brief, but long enough to show a clear path to Inu Yasha, and to show why she couldn't see his silver hair. Kagome cursed her stupidity. How could she have not realized tonight was the night of the new moon—the one night every month that Inu Yasha's youkai blood receded and he found himself transformed from a silver- haired dog-eared hanyou to a raven-haired human? She was at his side in an instant.  
  
"Why the hell'd you sit me?"  
  
"Sorry." Kagome laughed nervously. "The rosary always flashes when I give the command. I thought I could use it to find you."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"You never noticed?"  
  
"Nope. I'm usually too busy eatin' dirt." The hanyou smirked, and then winced with pain.  
  
"Ohhh...your leg."  
  
"I'm fine," he snarled, pushing himself to a sitting position as the subduing spell wore off. He tried standing, but thought better of it as a new wave of pain shot through his leg.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"Humor me," she said, her voice betraying the ebbing of her sympathy.  
  
"Keh...I was in the air when the sun set, and I landed on my foot wrong."  
  
Kagome grasped Inu Yasha's hand, pulled his arm over her shoulder, and nestled closely against his side.  
  
"Wh-what are you doing?"  
  
"What do you think?" Kagome huffed.  
  
Kagome's eyes sparkled as she looked deeply into Inu Yasha's eyes, and moved her lips toward his. Inu Yasha shook his head to rid himself of his momentary reverie. He'd been spending too much time around that damn letch of a monk.  
  
Kagome continued, "We're going back to Kaede's village." She helped Inu Yasha to his feet, supporting most of his weight with her own slender frame.  
  
"Are you stupid?"  
  
She sighed, "What is it now?"  
  
"No way I'm lettin' any of those damn villagers see me like this!"  
  
"Fine. We'll to through the well."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I've got a test tomorrow and I can't leave you here alone."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer, Inu—" Kagome started, "Did you say 'fine.'" Wow, she thought, he gave in awfully easily.  
  
"Yeah. Maybe it won't be the new moon in your time, and I can heal faster." Besides, he thought, I don't like being alone when I transform.  
  
As Kagome stepped forward, Inu Yasha tapped her shoulder. "Kagome, aren't you forgetting something?"  
  
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "No, I don't think so."  
  
"The shard."  
  
Kagome looked behind herself. Pieces of the ogre were inching towards one another, the shikon shard enabling the creature to literally will itself back together. Fortunately the ogre's immense size prevented it from pulling itself together with any great speed. Shippou was busying himself with blasting pieces of the ogre apart with foxfire. So that's why they hadn't heard anything from the kit in several minutes.  
  
"Oh, right," Kagome said, jogging off to gather and purify the shard imbedded in somewhat large section of what appeared to be the ogre's abdomen. "I'm such a ditz."  
  
Inu Yasha opened his mouth to echo his agreement, before realizing Kagome's hasty retreat left him standing without support on an injured leg. He grunted with pain, before collapsing to the ground. "Damn wench," he muttered.  
  
Kagome reached into the chunk of ogre solar plexus. Retrieving the shard proved difficult, as she found it to be lodged particularly deep within the flesh. A final tug freed the shard. However, so hard was the tug that the shard pierced the lining of a sac of fluid within the fleshy lump. The contents of the sac spilled out, dissolving the lump into a gooey paste. Kagome was able to remove her hand before the lump dissolved, but unfortunately did not remain unscathed. A few drops of the acidic fluid fell onto and began burning her hand. She cried out, and Inu Yasha, ignoring the pain in his leg, was beside her in an instant. He wiped the fluid from her hand, burning his own in the process.  
  
"Kagome, are you okay?"  
  
"Sure. The burns hurt, but I'll be fine."  
  
"Damn it. I shouldn't have told you to get that shard."  
  
Kagome caressed his face with her uninjured hand. "No, I'm the one who can purify the shards. Remember?"  
  
Inu Yasha cupped his hand over hers. "Kagome."  
  
"Besides, you didn't know the ogre's stomach acid would burn me."  
  
He looked down.  
  
"You didn't know, did you?"  
  
"Well...I."  
  
"Inu Yasha!"  
  
"Give me a break, wench, I can't see the shards. How was I to know where it was?"  
  
"You could've warned me," she yelled.  
  
"I forgot."  
  
"Inu Yasha...OSUW—"  
  
He clenched his teeth, clamped his eyes shut, and grabbed his injured leg, bracing himself for the impact. When it didn't come, he slowly opened his eyes. The girl stood above him, the expression on her face a mixture of remorse and anger. She repositioned herself under his arm, and helped him to his feet. "Come on," she said, "let's go."  
  
"Kagome," he asked after a few minutes of walking, "why didn't you sit me?"  
  
She smiled. "You're hurt. I'm mad at you, but I don't want to hurt you further."  
  
"Oh," he said, "never stopped you before."  
  
"Careful, Inu Yasha. You're making me reconsider."  
  
* * *  
  
Preview of next installment:  
  
Kagome: I think we're back in Tokyo, but everything looks so different. There's the Sunset Shrine. Mama? Souta? Jii-chan? I'm home. Where are you? Why are old man and a little boy in our shrine? What's that? You say you live here? This is your shrine? What's going on?  
  
Inu Yasha, don't fight those men. You're injured and still human. You can't transform Tessaiga. Who's that man with the red hair and scar? Is he going to help us? O thank you, sir.  
  
Next time on Inu Yasha: The red-haired samurai of the Meiji era  
  
Inu Yasha: Keh. I could have defeated those bastards on my own.  
  
Kenshin: Please forgive sessha, Inu Yasha-san. Sessha meant no disrespect. 


	2. Approaching the Well

Standard disclaimers apply:  
  
Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.  
  
Three Days In Tokyo  
  
By  
  
koinekid  
  
Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.  
  
* * *  
  
At the Bone Eater's Well Inu Yasha and Shippou argue, Kagome discovers a strange glow emanating from the burns in her and Inu Yasha's hands, and Inu Yasha remembers his mother's advice that protecting others is in an inuyoukai's nature.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 2  
  
For the first few minutes Kagome struggled to bear Inu Yasha's weight—not that his weight was that difficult to bear. Quite the contrary, his boyish frame was surprisingly light. But Kagome was small herself. Eventually her shoulders and back grew used to the dull ache, and by the time they reached the clearing in the forest surrounding the Bone Eater's Well, the hanyou's weight on her shoulders felt almost comforting.  
  
As for the hanyou himself, Inu Yasha was annoyed. Not at Kagome of course. As he told her on more than one occasion, being near her calmed him. The kit, however, annoyed him...especially tonight. Shippou had been smart enough not to hop on Kagome's shoulders, but his constant need for attention manifested itself in his scampering about and going on endlessly in a one- sided conversation. Several times he had inadvertently mentioned Inu Yasha's temporary "handicap." The first two times, Inu Yasha had answered in his usual manner, bopping Shippou on the head. But the annoyance on Kagome's face as he pulled her down to reach Shippou had prevented him from striking the kit again, even though he deserved it.  
  
When the trio reached the well, Kagome helped Inu Yasha sit down with his back to the well. He tried sitting in his usual cross-legged posture, but found it sent pinpricks down his calf and into his ankle. As soon as Kagome sat and sidled up behind Inu Yasha, Shippou hopped into her lap.  
  
"Why're ya resting, Kagome? We're almost at Kaede's village."  
  
"What are ya, runt, deaf?" Inu Yasha called. "Me and Kagome are goin' to her time."  
  
Shippou snorted, and, brushing pretend dust off his shirt, stepped into his best heroic pose. "Some of us were too busy fighting ogres to sit down and talk!"  
  
"Fighting ogre remains, you mean," Inu Yasha bit back, "I slew that ogre, and don't you forget it!"  
  
"And got Kagome hurt in the process!" No sooner were the words out of Shippou's mouth than were his eyes shut tight and his arms over his head, shielding himself from the expected impact of the hanyou's fist. Feeling no impact, the kit lowered an arm, and hazarded a one-eyed glance toward Inu Yasha.  
  
To Shippou's surprise, the hanyou sat silently with a bowed head, his hand clutching his knee. Shippou smirked. He'd finally gotten that dog good! He felt pretty good about himself...until he looked at Kagome's face. Then Shippou's smirk disappeared.  
  
Kagome's eyebrows were high and the corners of her lips low. Angry she probably wasn't, but sad, concerned, hurting...definitely. Not hurting for herself, but for Inu Yasha.  
  
"Shippou, why don't you head back to the village?" Kagome said, her voice hollow. "Tell Miroku-sama and Sango-chan that we'll be gone for a few days."  
  
Shippou nodded, and scampered out of the clearing. At the clearing's edge, he squeaked a small "sumimasen," before disappearing into the blackness of the forest.  
  
"Inu Yasha?" Kagome started.  
  
"The runt was right," the hanyou interrupted. "It's my fault you got hurt."  
  
"That's not true. You didn't know—"  
  
"I should have."  
  
"Inu—"  
  
"Listen, Kagome."  
  
The girl furrowed her brow in frustration. A wicked smile crossed her lips, and her hand shot out, striking Inu Yasha in the arm. The hanyou fell onto his side. Kagome pounced on him, and, careful not to harm his leg, flipped him onto his stomach.  
  
"Osuwari," she shouted. As Inu Yasha was held almost magnetically firm to the ground by the subduing spell, Kagome stood over him. "I'm sorry, Inu Yasha, but you didn't give me much of a choice. And as long as the spell lasts, you have to be quiet and listen, right?" She licked her lips. "I already said I forgive you for the burns, even though it wasn't your fault. You can't always protect me from everything..."  
  
Something about Kagome's words triggered a long forgotten memory. The smell of cooking rice. The wistful smile on his mother's face. Inu Yasha himself as a young, very young child. He'd asked okaasan a question about his father and forgotten the question before she'd given half the answer. But one comment she made that night had always stayed with him: "Protecting his pack is part of an inuyoukai's nature."  
  
Kagome, Inu Yasha thought, I'm sorry but you're wrong. I failed you.  
  
"...but," Kagome continued, "You've never let me down when it's counted." She stroked the reddened blistered flesh on her hand. "This is nothing."  
  
"So, how's your hand feel?" Inu Yasha asked as the spell wore off and Kagome sat down, this time on the well's edge. The hanyou righted himself and sat beside her.  
  
"Inu Yasha," she exhaled roughly, about to lecture him again. "What did I just finish saying to—?"  
  
Inu Yasha gulped, and hoping to avoid the verbal onslaught mumbled a quick "I can be concerned without blamin' myself, all right?" Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy her, and the hanyou released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Damn, that wench was scary when she wanted to be. A comment Shippou had once made to antagonize him flashed in front of his mind. "I don't think Kagome even needs those rosary beads to subdue you, Inu Yasha. One word from her, and you'll do anything."  
  
"Keh!" the hanyou snorted. He immediately glanced at Kagome to see if the girl had noticed his outburst. She had been staring at the burn mark on her hand, oblivious to anything he had been saying.  
  
"Ka-Kagome?"  
  
"It's glowing."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Beneath the burn...my hand is glowing."  
  
"Eh? I don't see any—"  
  
A blush colored Inu Yasha's face as Kagome suddenly grasped his hand in both of hers.  
  
"Yours too," she said, "where you touched my hand  
  
Inu Yasha nodded though he couldn't see the glow. Kagome, not he, had the ability to see spiritual energy. "What do you think it means?"  
  
"No clue. All of us get drenched in youkai blood and guts on a fairly regular basis, but I've never seen anything like this." She chewed on her lip for a moment. "Oh well, we can ask Kaeda-baba about it in a few days. I want to go home, have a nice hot bath, and get some antiseptic on this burn."  
  
With that, Kagome swung her legs over the edge, and allowed herself to freefall into the shaft. Inu Yasha shrugged, and followed suit, allowing the blue glow, accompanying the passage between the worlds to overtake him.  
  
* * *  
  
Note:  
  
The plot has not progressed as far as I would have liked in this installment. I had planned to progress to two vital plot points – Kagome's discovery that there are others living in her shrine (her ancestors, though she does not yet realize this) and an attack on Inu Yasha and Kagome by either brigands or the sword-bearing police (with the dramatic arrival of a certain crimson-haired samurai in the last paragraph). I'd need to write at least an additional four to five pages. I could have done this, but this would have delayed updating the story for another few days. I have elected instead to post the chapter in its present form. Expect a four-page update (or more if the muse strikes) once or twice a week work-permitting. 


	3. No Home Like Place

Standard disclaimers apply:  
  
Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.  
  
Three Days In Tokyo  
  
By  
  
koinekid  
  
Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome and Inu Yasha must work together to free themselves when they find the well entrance sealed shut. A misunderstanding leads to a fight, and an angry Kagome makes a frightening discovery at home.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Inu Yasha cursed. He had hoped that it wouldn't be the new moon when he emerged into Kagome's time. No such luck. His hair was still black. He had no claws. His fangs were still retracted. And fiery spasms still shot through his calf and ankle.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Kagome?" Usually shafts of moonlight shone through the cracks in the ancient wood of the well house, so that when Inu Yasha traveled to Kagome's time at night he could easily navigate his way out of the well. No moon light meant he was blind tonight. Worse, it meant he couldn't see Kagome.  
  
"I'm up here," she said, "I hit my head on something."  
  
Inu Yasha heard three quick raps.  
  
"There are wooden planks blocking the well," Kagome said. "Why would jii- chan—?"  
  
"Blocking it off?" Inu Yasha climbed the well ladder quickly despite his handicap. "Keh. That old man tried blocking it off before, remember? Didn't stop me then. Won't stop me now." He slammed his fist full force against the wooden boards. "Gahh!"  
  
"Inu Yasha?"  
  
Inu Yasha laid splayed out on the ground, having slipped off the rung and hit the well floor. "I'm fine!" he growled. "Damn weak human hand! If it weren't the new moon in your stupid time, I coulda broken through easy!"  
  
"It's not my fault!" she called.  
  
"Keh."  
  
Searching for a way out, Kagome worked her fingers around the perimeter of the well covering. Inu Yasha in a not unusual display of masculine exuberance had proven force would not get them out. This would take a lighter touch. She caught her finger on a splinter, and placed it in her mouth to stanch the bleeding. She blinked, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. They weren't. The removal of the splinter had allowed in a tiny pinprick of light. Too faint for moonlight. A lantern, perhaps?  
  
"Inu Yasha, I have an idea."  
  
Moments later Inu Yasha found himself back on the well ladder, arms surrounding Kagome's waist, ensuring that her rocking and swaying did not send her hurtling to the ground. Digging around the splintered wood, first with her fingers and then with the end of tessaiga, she made a hole big enough to slip through the end of the re-sheathed sword. With one quarter of the sword's length through the hole, she gained sufficient leverage to begin prying loose one of the wooden planks. After one particularly hard thrust, the girl's hip slammed into Inu Yasha's face. He was momentarily thankful for the darkness that hid his blush.  
  
Soon, the first plank loosened and clattered to the ground outside the well. Kagome nodded in satisfaction. The light she had seen indeed came from a hanging lantern. Why it hung inside the well house, she had no idea. But she was thankful for it. Soon, enough planks were removed to allow the pair to squeeze through.  
  
Kagome took the lamp from it hanging place and held it up between her and Inu Yasha, casting their faces in a pale blue glow. Inu Yasha stared at the sheathed sword in his hands, his expression indignant. A frown replaced Kagome's smile. "What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
He shoved the sword into the light and grunted.  
  
"Gomen...but I don't get it."  
  
"All your prying scratched up the sheath, ya stupid wench!"  
  
"Oh. Is that all?"  
  
"Is that—? What do you mean, 'is that all?' That's a big deal."  
  
Kagome shrugged. "We needed to get out of the well."  
  
"You should still apologize!"  
  
"If you say so," Kagome sighed, and then yawned. "Gomen nasai."  
  
Inu Yasha grumbled, and then smiled wickedly. Trying his best to sound concerned, he pointed at her face and said, "Kagome, shine the light this way. There's something..."  
  
The girl complied. "What's wrong?"  
  
"There's something..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"On your face..."  
  
She gulped. "Wh-what is it?"  
  
"It's..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I think it's..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"This is bad."  
  
"WHAT IS IT, INU YASHA?"  
  
"Dust."  
  
"What?"  
  
Inu Yasha ran a finger across her forehead, co-mingling the sweat and dust. He presented her with his stained forefinger. "You need to wash your face, Kagome. You're even uglier than usual." He laughed, at least until he saw her expression.  
  
Kagome's face was red, but not from embarrassment. She turned, her hair whipping Inu Yasha's face. Her soft-soled shoes stomped the path to and up the stairs that led out of the well house. Inu Yasha took a step toward her. The girl stopped, turned, and met him with a glare that drove more daggers into his heart than any of the evening's injuries had driven into his ankle.  
  
Inu Yasha didn't need his enhanced eyesight to tell that sweat was no longer the only liquid mingling with the dirt. As Kagome slammed shut the well house door, he did not follow. He slumped down beside the well feeling very, very low.  
  
Kagome blew into her clasped hands to warm them. She couldn't remember a colder night at her family's shrine. She hadn't noticed the cold when she had been in the well house. Maybe, she thought wryly, because my blood was boiling. A sudden stiff wind compelled her to cross her arms and quicken her pace, but did not quell her grumbling.  
  
Sliding the front door closed, Kagome forced herself to smile. She didn't want to seem upset in case someone was awake. Though judging by the lack of any discernable light, that seemed unlikely. For an instant, she felt like announcing her homecoming. But if she made too much noise, her family might fear they had a prowler. She could imagine jii-chan and Souta racing down the stairs—jii-chan with a handful of spell scrolls and Souta with his hand in the shape of a claw, squeaking "Sankontessou!"—ready to defend the ancestral home. In the end she decided to keep quiet. Satisfied she would be left alone, she dropped her smile and started toward the bathroom.  
  
Opening the bathroom door, she stopped cold. She expected to find a soaking tub, perhaps still filled from Mama's soak, a stool on which to sit while washing, a toilet, and a stack of towels. Instead she found a folded up futon and beddings on the floor and painted scrolls on the wall. Moreover, the floor itself was different. Hardwood—not linoleum.  
  
The kitchen proved no different as Kagome learned when she went downstairs. No refrigerator. No microwave. Even the table and chairs were missing. A counter top and stove were the only kitchen staples left. And the stove was not an electric range, but an ancient-looking hibachi.  
  
She shook her head. Why would her family suddenly redecorate like this? Did Mama read one of those American decorating magazines that were now being imported and translated? Martha Stewart? Kagome gasped. What if her family had fallen into poverty while she had been gone? Perhaps jii-chan had needed to go to the hospital, and Mama had to sell some of their things to pay the bills. But wouldn't the shrine patrons have offered their support? And besides, that wouldn't explain the redecorated bathroom. An old tub and toilet would hardly begin to finance hospital bills. A worse thought struck her. What if the family had become so poor they had to sell the shrine? Wouldn't they have at least left her a letter at the well? Maybe they had, and the new owners had torn it up!  
  
No! Impossible. Jii-chan would die before he allowed the shrine to be sold. Inu Yasha! She felt an urgent need to be near Inu Yasha. She started toward the door, but stopped. First, she had to find whether or not her fears were founded. She hadn't checked Mama, Souta, or jii-chan's rooms. Maybe she'd open their doors, and they'd still be there.  
  
Kagome moved for the stairs, feet pounding the floor; she no longer cared whether she woke anyone. She would almost welcome a cranky mood from Souta, if only to put her fears to rest. She stopped cold at the bottom of the stairs, and heaved a relieved sigh. Her little brother stood at the top of the stairs. Shadows concealed all but the barest discernable features, but there was no mistaking those features. Thin and short with rumpled brown hair (stayed up too late with his newest PlayStation game, no doubt!). Who else could it be but her brother.  
  
"Souta!" she called, and bounded up the stairs toward him.  
  
"Halt!"  
  
As Kagome neared, the boy shifted into a defensive posture, bringing a heretofore concealed staff to bear. Upon closer inspection, she could see that though the boy had a passing resemblance to Souta, her brother he was not.  
  
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my family's shrine?" the boy demanded.  
  
"Grandson, what is that commotion?" asked a voice from down the hall. "An old man needs a peaceful slumber."  
  
Careful not to let her gaze move from the boy and his weapon for too long, she glanced to the origin of the voice. An old man, possibly jii-chan's age, but definitely not jii-chan, hobbled out of a room and into the hall. Kagome clenched her fists. The room from which the old man had emerged was Mama's room.  
  
She pushed past the boy, and lunged for the old man. "Why were you in Mama's room? I don't care how old you are, if you've hurt her—!"  
  
Kagome hit the floor hard at the old man's feet, and let out a moan. She rubbed her shin, feeling the beginning of a welt.  
  
"Grandson, you struck a girl"  
  
"But, ojii-san, she was attacking you!" the boy replied, sniffling.  
  
"I told you never to use my walking stick as a weapon, did I not?"  
  
"Yes, ojii-san."  
  
Didn't feel like a walking stick, Kagome thought. She tuned out the rest of the conversation, focusing her attention instead on her mother's room. Her position allowed her a view into the room. Everything from the furniture to the artwork on the walls was different. If the room had ever been her mother's, it was hers no longer.  
  
Slowly and with some difficulty, Kagome refocused her attention on the conversation. The boy, it seemed, was accusing her of being a succubus. Kagome almost laughed at that one, but laughing proved difficult. The old man wasn't buying it. Kagome tried to smile, to show her appreciation.  
  
"I'm sure the girl's completely human, grandson," the old man said. "She's just a geisha."  
  
Kagome's smile faded. Then she felt the hem of her skirt lift slightly.  
  
The old man had reclaimed his walking stick, and now used it to lift the girl's skirt. She hoped his purpose was to examine her clothing. She'd hate to have to kill an old man, especially in front of a child.  
  
"I'd say she's not a particularly successful geisha.," the old man continued, "if she cannot afford a complete kimono."  
  
Kagome's face filled with color, and she scrambled to her feet and ran towards where her room should be.  
  
"The succubus is getting away! Ojii-san, I need to borrow your walking stick again!"  
  
* * *  
  
Note: Three chapters in and still no Kenshin. I apologize, and beg your patience. If all goes as planned, the rurouni may indeed make an appearance in the next chapter. And his friends will soon follow.  
  
I tossed around the idea of having Inu Yasha and Kagome arrive in Tokyo during the Bakumatsu and meet the Hitokiri Battousai in all his gory glory. So far, the story is only hinting that Kagome and Inu Yasha have traveled to an era other than the modern one. It could just as easily be the 1860s as the 1870s. The widespread civil unrest of this earlier time period could provide an appropriate backdrop for the Sunset Shrine to be attacked. There could even be appearances of Sanosuke and the Seikihoutai, Kaoru (even her father), and others.  
  
After much consideration, however, I have concluded that the mood set forth in the RK OVAs is much too dark for this crossover. The comedic elements are essential components of both the Inu Yasha and RK animes. I have tried to retain much of that comedy in this fanfic. Consequently, it seems best to set this fic during the anime. And I do look forward to scripting interactions between Kaoru and Kagome, seeing Ayame and Suzumi trying to rope Inu Yasha into playing with them, and seeing how the older wiser Kenshin and the brash young Sanosuke will play off of the various components of Inu Yasha's personality. I hope you'll enjoy reading these interactions as much as I'll enjoy writing them.  
  
Until next time, excelsior!  
  
--koinekid 


	4. Kerosene and Not Heard

Standard disclaimers apply:  
  
Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.  
  
Three Days In Tokyo  
  
By  
  
koinekid  
  
Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome's plan to escape has a horrific outcome. Now a young boy's life is in jeopardy, and an injured human Inu Yasha must venture into this unfamiliar world to find help.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Kagome knew the paper sliding door would at best halt the boy pursuing her for only a moment. She shut the door anyway, wishing it were the pivot- hinged door that normally controlled access to her room. Besides being constructed of sturdy, protective wood, Kagome's door had a lock.  
  
Had she the presence of mind, Kagome would have scanned the room for a something large enough to block the door. Perhaps a bureau or a bed. No guarantee she could push the bureau, of course, or that the boy couldn't hop over it. Though he had Souta's frame, he seemed stronger, more athletic, or at the least more stubborn. The girl's survival instinct overtook her senses, and since her survival had for the past months been inextricably linked with her hanyou companion, that sense called out for Inu Yasha. Her voice soon followed.  
  
Inside the well house, Inu Yasha opened his eyes. He'd heard a voice call his name. More than that, he felt it. Kagome needed him. Fighting through the pain, he rose, stepped forward, and stopped. He sank back to the ground, and exhaled roughly.  
  
While in human form, Inu Yasha's emotions ran wild. None of his companions had noticed. He hadn't let them, for shame too was an emotion. And his weakness shamed him. He wanted Kagome to need him, so in his weakness he'd imagined her voice calling out to him. This is Kagome's home, he told himself. Her time. She's safe here.  
  
With that, he closed his eyes again.  
  
Kagome knew Inu Yasha wouldn't come. He'd probably decided to take his chances in the Sengoku Jidai, and already slipped back through the well. She had to fend for herself. A survey of the room yielded little to aid her defense. Besides the dull round rug on which she stood, little else adorned the room. The furnishings were as sparse and the decorations as simple as her mother's had appeared from the hall. No bureaus and no beds, that's for certain. A small wooden chest, locked, and obscured by the cast-off covers of a close-by futon, was shoved into the far corner. The head of the futon was positioned next to the chest. A protective measure, Kagome realized. Anyone reaching for the box would have to reach over the futon, likely waking the sleeper in the process. In another corner a western-style kerosene lamp blazed. Next to it set a box of matches. Kagome recognized that she must have entered the boy's room. She felt suddenly violated that this room that should be but wasn't hers was now occupied by a male, even one this young.  
  
She forced herself to focus. Why was the lamp still lit? Had the boy neglected to extinguish it? Or perhaps he had blown it out, but in his haste left a spark glowing that rekindled. Was that even possible? she wondered. More important than the why of it, how could she use it?  
  
A commotion in the hall caught her attention. Had she been in the hall, she would have seen the boy wrestle the walking stick away from the old man, and charge the door. Instead she heard only low murmurs of an argument and the pounding of footsteps. Her eyes shot back to the lamp, back to the door, and then back to the lamp. Bounding forward, she grabbed for the lamp, tipping it over and nearly spilling the kerosene. Recovering, she removed the glass dome and unscrewed the brass top. The flame was doused, but she still had the matches.  
  
The door slid open with such force that Kagome feared it would break. Apparently, she was not alone in her fear. She could hear the old man's shouts. Steeling herself, she drenched the boy's clothing, face, and hair with the contents of the lantern. The boy's eyes filled with anger.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled.  
  
Kagome rose and held out the match box. "Stand back. You're covered with—"  
  
"I know what I'm covered with. I can smell, ya know!"  
  
"Then...then you know what'll happen if I use these!"  
  
"Ha..." the boy smirked. "I used the last match this evening."  
  
Kagome fought the impulse to break eye contact with the boy. Instead, she slid open the box, and felt inside with her fingers. Predictably, the boy had lied. "One match left," she said.  
  
The boy swung his grandfather's walking stick to strike at her hand. She dodged. "Uh uh uh," she said, moving the match to striking position on the side of the box. "Now," she said, "I'm leaving, and unless you'd like to be flash fried, you'll let me pass."  
  
The boy grumbled, but stepped back.  
  
Inu Yasha cursed himself as he limped, supported by his sword, to the main house. This is Kagome's time. She's safe here! What was I thinking? A series of images cycled through his mind. Kagome pursued by a slithering sickening mesh of bodies, arms, heads, and legs jutting out at grotesque angles, held together by an ancient plastering mask empowered by a Shikon shard. Half of the mask, free of its writhing mass, soaring towards Kagome's face, threatening to end her life and absorb her body into itself. Her hand guarding her face, its slim width all that separated her from annihilation. The split second when he demanded she move her hand, and her fate was entirely in his hands. He hadn't been sure she would trust him. Safe in her own time? Keh! He didn't ever want to start thinking about the incident with the Tatari-mokke and the dead girl.  
  
A light rain had begun to fall, making the trip more difficult. The tip of tessaiga's sheath dug shallow rivets in the quickly forming mud. He slipped on the path several times, and banged his knee, drawing blood once or twice. Maybe Kagome wasn't in trouble. Maybe she'd still be angry, and she'd sit him in spite of his injuries. Didn't matter. He'd risk it.  
  
Inu Yasha slid open the front door. Though he'd only used the door occasionally, he remembered it having a different design. He had little time to puzzle over it, as he heard Kagome's voice. He couldn't make out the words, but could tell she was aggravated. Not at him, he hoped. He limped toward the staircase. The tip of the sheath clopped heavily on the stairs with his every step. He knew that whoever was on the second story could hear him coming, but in his present state surprising an opponent would provide too slight of an advantage. And to be honest he felt impatient. The thought of Kagome in danger left him belligerent. He wanted to fight.  
  
Kagome fought to keep her composure. She couldn't allow her face, even in this dim light, to reveal her apprehension. Someone was ascending the stairs at an alarmingly fast rate. Step. Tap. Step. Tap. Kagome felt confined, trapped, and a bit curious as to why a peg-legged pirate was coming up the stairs. She took a step backward.  
  
Inu Yasha blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected to find an old man and a young boy as his opponents. "Oi, Kagome. You okay?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
He chewed on his lip, muttered "Get some sleep. I'll see you back in my world," and turned to go.  
  
Her eyebrows lifted in amazement, and then lowered in anger. "Are you just going to leave me here?"  
  
"Sure. The old man and your brother can take care of you for a few days."  
  
"Old man and...that's not jii-chan! And this brat certainly isn't Souta. Can't you remember what my family looks like?" she fumed.  
  
Inu Yasha looked at the pair of faces, and tried to conjure up a mental picture of Kagome's family to compare with them. He came up with nothing almost immediately, but scrunched up his eyes and cocked his head to the side to feign concentration and mask his emerging boredom. The possibility of being sat still concerned him, so it seemed a good idea not to anger the wench. After a suitable pause, he shrugged. "This isn't them?"  
  
This simpleton has made the succubus angry, the boy thought. And like ojii- san says, "Anger breeds distraction." He shot a hand forward, yanking the matchbox from her grasp. It was a fast grab. His speed always left him with a swell of pride. Half a second later, he realized the truth of another ancient aphorism with universal applicability—one of which, with the influx of a modified Hebrew ideology piggybacking on a Euro-American financial hegemony, he may have heard—"Pride goes before a fall."  
  
In drawing the matchbox away, he scraped its sandpaper striking surface against the head of the match in Kagome's hand. The sandpaper's red phosphorus coating reacted with the chemicals on the match head, producing a spark. The boy cried out as his clothing and hair caught fire.  
  
"Grandson!"  
  
The old man with his shuffling gate could not hope to reach the boy in time. Nor could the injured Inu Yasha. The boy beat at his clothes with futility. With every hit, his kerosene-drenched sleeves made contact with the kerosene-drenched front of his gi. Kagome pushed him to the ground, and tried to smother the flames by rolling him onto his stomach. He wouldn't budge, but continued to beat at himself. Desperate now, Kagome was about to hurl herself onto the boy. That's when she remembered the futon blankets. Scrambling over him, she grabbed the blankets, pivoted on her heels, and half ran, half tripped her way back.  
  
"Inu Yasha," she said, smothering the flames, "help me get him into the room."  
  
Moments later Inu Yasha, Kagome, and the boy's grandfather were gathered around the boy's barely unconscious form. Inu Yasha had volunteered to gather a lamp (it was a traditional Japanese one) from the old man's room, claiming his leg felt better. He now held the lamp over the boy, so the trio could get a better look at his chest. Their examination revealed several red swollen splotches, one the size of Kagome's fist. Portions of the boy's gi were stuck to his flesh. Kagome reached down to try to peel the clothing back. Her efforts produced a crackling, tearing sound. The boy winced, and the old man glared at her.  
  
"Shit!" she seethed.  
  
Inu Yasha blinked. He'd never heard the girl curse before, let alone with such a choice epithet. This must be serious.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Never remove clothing stuck to a burn," she chided herself. "Inu Yasha," she said, looking into his eyes, "we have to get a doctor."  
  
He nodded. "Let's go."  
  
"No. I'll go. You stay here."  
  
"Not a chance."  
  
"He needs help NOW! You're hurt, and I can't slow down for you."  
  
Inu Yasha recognized the look in her eyes. She was going to sit him. He clamped a hand over the girl's mouth before the first syllable of the subduing spell could slip out. He hefted her to her feet, and half-dragged her out of the room, his hand still firmly clasped over her mouth.  
  
"Kagome, listen to me. All right?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I don't know if you've realized it yet, but we're not in your world. This isn't your house, and that's not your family."  
  
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away. "I know, but we don't have time to think about it."  
  
"I promise I'll get you home. But you're right. Helping that boy is top priority right now."  
  
"That's why I have to go."  
  
"You don't know anything more about this world than I do. There could be dangers out there—dangers we haven't even seen in my world. You don't know where to start looking for a doctor. And—"  
  
"Inu—"  
  
"And even with this injury, I'm still faster than you."  
  
Though she wanted argue the point, she relented. She felt weak in the knees, and her shin was throbbing from the boy's earlier attack. She sank to the ground. "All right. Just hurry."  
  
Nodding, he called out, "Oi, old man. Where's the nearest doctor?"  
  
* * *  
  
Note: My roommate has joked that I'll have written this entire crossover without having any RK characters appear. So far, he's been right. If I have Kenshin make an appearance on the last page, will this fic still be a crossover? What do you guys think? Hmm...  
  
...Guess not.  
  
No worries. The Kenshin gumi will appear. Which doctor do you think the old man was talking about?  
  
Special note about continuity:  
  
I am following the Inu Yasha manga continuity. Therefore, when Inu Yasha is remembering the plastering mask incident, he remembers the conglomeration of bodies that appeared in the manga and not the oily black creature from the anime. Imagine that this story takes place sometime between scrolls 2 and 3 of manga volume 15 (or if you prefer, part 140). It's right after the broken alarm clock incident.  
  
For RK, I'm following manga continuity as well. The story takes place after Act 30 (in volume 4). The incidents with the Oniwabanshu and Kanryuu have occurred. Megumi is staying in Tokyo as Genzai's assistant. Neither Saitou or Shishio have appeared. It's right before Tsubame makes her first appearance. 


	5. The Dog Hanyou And The Character Of Evil

Standard disclaimers apply:  
  
Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.  
  
Three Days In Tokyo  
  
By  
  
koinekid  
  
Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.  
  
While seeking a doctor to treat a young boy's injuries, Inu Yasha inadvertently threatens a gambling buddy of an angry ex-street fighter. And the man formerly known as Zanza is not one to take a threat to his friends lightly.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Down the shrine stairs, through the forest, and into the main streets of the city, Inu Yasha ran. He sniffed the air out of habit, and wished for his acute sense of smell to return. Once he and the others gathered all the jewel shards, he'd never again have to worry about losing his senses again. That comforted him.  
  
He mulled over the shoddy directions the old man gave him. He admitted he rarely ventured down the hill and into the city. The shrine patrons delivered most of the supplies. And his grandson, who enjoyed going into the city, took care of the rest. At least the old man remembered the doctor's name. "Genzai-sensei, the best doctor in Tokyo!" he'd called him. Inu Yasha snorted. At least the city had the same name as the one in Kagome's world.  
  
He grunted, and in frustration slammed the fist into the side of a building. He couldn't recognize any of the landmarks the old man mentioned. He'd probably taken a wrong turn or became disoriented in the darkness.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Inu Yasha turned to find a man in a gaudy striped gi emerging from the doorway of the building he'd punched. He was angry and, judging by his breath and red-rimmed eyes, more that a little drunk. He threw a pair of dice at Inu Yasha's feet.  
  
"You fowled up my winning streak with all that noise!"  
  
The man posed little threat, so Inu Yasha turned to leave.  
  
"Don't turn your back on me, you bastard!"  
  
Inu Yasha flexed his fingers in annoyance. The gesture was less imposing without claws. He needed to scare the drunk away. He whirled around, drawing tessaiga from its sheath and bringing its tip to bear at the man's chest. Before Inu Yasha could shout an intimidation, the drunk began screaming. He tripped over his own feet scurrying back toward the gambling hall.  
  
"Sano, help me," he cried, "H-he's trying to kill me!"  
  
"Still making excuses for bad throws, eh, Shuu?"  
  
From the door a tall man in white clothing appeared. With taped-up ribs and hair held back by a red headband, he resembled nothing so much as a street fighter. His mouth was curved into a smirk, and his voice tinged with a note of whimsy. Until he saw Inu Yasha, that is. Then for an instant, his eyes narrowed.  
  
Sagara Sanosuke scrutinized the kid in front of him. Long black hair- rivaling a certain rurouni's for length, but unlike the rurouni's allowed to flow freely. Outdated clothes and a nicked, scratched, battle-damaged sword. An unimpressive weapon to be sure, but it could be effective against an unarmed man. His bloody feet suggested he may have lost his shoes recently. And by his feet something glinted.  
  
"Oi, Shuu, did you throw those dice?"  
  
"Hai," he grunted.  
  
"Hey guys," Sano shouted, "Shuu's last throw came up evens!"  
  
A jumble of cursing and celebration came from the gambling hall. Someone protested the legitimacy of the roll.  
  
Sano grinned, and kicked a clod of dirt at his friend. "Head back inside, Shuu." Slamming a fist into his palm, he spoke to Inu Yasha. "I don't know who you are, kid, but I don't take threats to my friends lightly."  
  
Inu Yasha gritted his teeth. Anger and frustration left him bristling for a fight. But a life might hang in the balance, so he sheathed his sword. Still, he couldn't end a confrontation without a verbal jab. "Sorry, Spike- hair," he said. "I don't have time to play with you."  
  
"You don't have an option. Once I start a fight, I don't let up 'til my opponent's chewin' dirt!" Allowing no time for further protest, Sanosuke launched himself forward, fist raised high.  
  
Inu Yasha threw himself backward. Landing on his foot a little too hard, he winced. If his opponent, this "Sanosuke," had noticed the injury, he said nothing about it. Inu Yasha doubted Sano would have let it affect the fight even if he had noticed. For that, he wasn't certain whether he should respect the man, or hold him in contempt.  
  
Sanosuke's fist had struck the ground hard enough to send up a cloud of dust that had yet to settle. He crouched on the ground and grinned. "I had a sense you were strong."  
  
"Sensed my spiritual energy, did you?"  
  
"Spiritual?" Sanosuke shook his head. "Nah. I don't waste my time with chi or anything like that. I just trust my instincts." The street fighter righted himself, and assumed a fighting stance. "I suppose I should introduce myself if we're going to fight. You'll probably want to surrender when you hear my name, so try not to be too intimidated."  
  
"Keh. I don't give a damn who you are—"  
  
"Sagara Sanosuke."  
  
"I told you I don't ca—"  
  
"Most folks on the back streets of Tokyo know me as Zanza, fight merchant."  
  
"Fight merchant?" Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I fight for a living." His chest puffed up, and just as quickly deflated. "Or at least I did until a recently." These last words seemed addressed only to himself.  
  
"If you're a bandit, why didn't you just say so? I don't have any money, so I'll be going."  
  
"I'm not a fucking bandit! Clients pay me to settle scores for them."  
  
Inu Yasha growled. "I just got here! Who the hell could have paid you to fight me?"  
  
"You did."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Shuu's last roll of the dice made me a lot of money. The way I see it, since you affected the outcome of that roll you're entitled to a share of the winnings. And I'll gratefully accept that share as payment for the fight." Sanosuke chuckled, "I had sworn off fighting for money, but I suppose one more for old time's sake won't hurt.  
  
A vein in Inu Yasha's head bulged. This fight merchant seemed more exasperating than Kagome. He had to end this quick. "Forget the fight, pal, I'll just take the money." What the hell, he could use it to pay the doctor.  
  
Sanosuke shook his head. "Contracts can't be cancelled. By the way, what's your name? I prefer to know a bit about my opponents before I cave their heads in."  
  
Inu Yasha exhaled his frustration, and told the fight merchant his name.  
  
Sanosuke barked and pawed at the air before answering. "Inu Yasha. Is that it? No last name?"  
  
"What's it to ya?" Inu Yasha snarled  
  
"If your family's too poor to warrant a last name, it's nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
"Not that it's any of your business, but both my parents were nobility."  
  
"Nobility, huh? Your father make his money by breaking the backs of the poor? He grow fat while they starved? Bet your mother was a fat pig too." The size of Sanosuke's grin increased. That ought to get dog-boy riled up, he thought. He started to continue his accusations, but found them unnecessary. Inu Yasha plowed into Sanosuke, forcing the air from his lungs, and tackling him to the ground.  
  
"Don't ever insult my mother!"  
  
Inu Yasha's knee was jammed into Sanosuke's gut, making it difficult for the street fighter to recover his breath. He formed his hand into a claw and slammed it into the boy's calf. Sanosuke had noticed Inu Yasha favoring that leg earlier, and didn't hesitate in the least to exploit the weakness. A cry of pain escaped Inu Yasha's lips as he pulled his leg away. The relief in the pressure on Sanosuke's stomach allowed him to gulp in precious breaths of air. He rolled over, and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Coughing, he looked up in time to see Inu Yasha's foot speeding toward his face. The kick connected and sent Sanosuke sprawling.  
  
Inu Yasha moved to press his advantage, but not quickly enough. A roundhouse kick took Inu Yasha's feet from under him. He fell, and his head struck the ground, leaving him momentarily stunned. Sanosuke was on him in an instant, delivering punches to the boy's face and stomach. The taste of blood brought Inu Yasha back to his wits. As Sanosuke's fist closed in for another punch, Inu Yasha made a grab for it. But a haze still hung over his mind, and his reaction time was too slow. Sanosuke merely slapped his hand away.  
  
Sanosuke stood, and backed away. He crossed his arms and chewed on his lip, waiting. After a moment, he called out, "You getting up or what?"  
  
Inu Yasha blinked several times. He couldn't quite recall where he was or why he was fighting this man. Kikyou, no Kagome, had needed him to get...something. Using the sheathed tessaiga, he managed to pull himself to his feet.  
  
Sanosuke grinned. "Want some more? Good." The street fighter ran forward, fists prepped to resume raining down a torrent of punches on his opponent. Inu Yasha used his sword in sheath as a short staff, blocking Sanosuke's fists blow for blow. The haze on his brain had dissipated enough to at least allow this. "I thought for a moment," Sanosuke taunted, "I'd have to fetch a doctor."  
  
At the mention of the word "doctor," something clicked in Inu Yasha's mind. "Doctor," he called out suddenly. "I need a doctor—Genzai-sensei" So pleased was Inu Yasha that he remembered this that he unconsciously lowered his sword. As soon as Sanosuke heard the name of the doctor, all malicious thoughts fled. Unfortunately, his fists were faster than his brain. His right fist slammed directly into Inu Yasha's face, and the boy collapsed into a heap on the ground.  
  
Sanosuke shrugged, and tossed the unconscious boy over his shoulder. "Don't worry, dog-boy, I'll take you to the doctor's office." He started to walk away, but as an afterthought, turned back, and strode into the gambling hall.  
  
"Oi, guys," he said to his gambling buddies. "I'll be back for my winnings tomorrow. If any of it's missing, I'll do to the thief what I did to this guy."  
  
Nervous glances were exchanged, and murmurs of assent were soon forthcoming. As he turned to go, one of his buddies called out, "You don't have to scare us like that, Sano. We'd kick the ass of any man who tried to steal someone else's winnings."  
  
Sano grinned, visions of his friends' reaction still in his mind. "I know, Gin," he said, "but since I'm no longer a fight merchant, I've got to get my fun somewhere."  
  
* * *  
  
Next: Sanosuke takes Inu Yasha to see Genzai-sensei, but will the transformed hanyou need treatment himself before he leads the doctor back the Sunset shrine? 


	6. A Meeting of Two Titans Nonviolent

Standard disclaimers apply:

Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz.

Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.

Three Days In Tokyo

By

koinekid

Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.

Sanosuke ferries an unconscious Inu Yasha to the gates of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo, in hopes of locating Genzai-sensei before it's too late to help the injured boy.

Chapter 6

Sanosuke kept careful track of the rhythm of Inu Yasha's breathing. He had the boy's unconscious form tossed over his shoulder, and could feel the slight pressure from the rise and fall of Inu Yasha's diaphragm. Fluctuations in this breathing pattern would alert Sanosuke that the boy was regaining consciousness. Another trick learned from the Sekihoutai. Binding the boy's hands behind his back would have pushed his chest forward and made his breathing easier to read. And the surprise of waking to find himself bound would have caused Inu Yasha to struggle against the ropes, making his conscious state all the more apparent. But Sanosuke hadn't wanted to waste time searching for rope. No matter. As long as Sanosuke concentrated, he wouldn't miss any stirrings of consciousness.

And he hadn't missed any. There had been none to miss. Sanosuke's intimate knowledge of the Tokyo's back alleys severely shortened the across town trip to Genzai's office. He had barged in, waking up the sleeping Megumi. If the entrance of a brawler into her bedroom, his latest victim slung over his shoulder, surprised her, she didn't let it show. She called him a hentai, told him Genzai-sensei was spending the night at the Kamiya dojo, and demanded he leave before he woke the doctor's granddaughters. Ayami and Suzumi were asleep in the next room.

Sanosuke left silently. He would have left noisily just to piss off the broad. He still didn't trust her. But the girls—nope, they were innocents, bystanders, in what would surely be a long protracted conflict with Megumi. He didn't want to wake them up. So, Sanosuke left silently.

Inu Yasha's eyelids were heavy. He struggled to open them. It was difficult. He felt something jammed into his gut. He could only inhale a shallow breath. His muscles grew taut as his thoughts coalesced through the haze into one clear warning: DANGER!

A sharp intake of breath alerted Sanosuke that the boy had awakened. Without hesitation, he hurled Inu Yasha into the air. The boy hit the ground rolling. He pushed himself to his feet, and ran, stumbling, toward Sanosuke.

Sanosuke grinned. This should be fun.

Inu Yasha threw a quick succession of left and right jabs at Sanosuke. The former fight merchant dodged every one, gliding backwards as graceful as a dancer. He stuck his leg out, and a still groggy Inu Yasha tripped and fell face first into the dirt. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, but a foot jammed into his lower back pushed him back onto the ground. He looked up at Spike hair, and growled.

Sanosuke growled back. "You want to continue this fight, dog boy, it's fine by me. But you did say something about wanting to find that old doctor."

Inu Yasha thoughts were jumbled, and trying to make sense of them hurt. He remembered an ogre and a jewel shard. Heh. Now it was a dead ogre. He felt a throb in his ankle. Ah, dammit. He was human again. Going through that stupid well didn't do shit. It didn't even get him to Kagome's time. Kagome! Her image focused his thoughts to crystal clarity. The kid that looked like Kagome's little brother was hurt. He needed Genzai-sensei.

He stopped struggling. "Take me to the doctor," he said.

"Sessha thought you had given up fighting for money, Sano, de gozaru yo."

Inu Yasha turned his head toward the source of the voice, a melodic almost sensual voice. He expected to see a female, and for a moment he thought he did. He had never seen a man with such a slight build. The weakest swordsman from his time—that Nobunaga kid came to mind—seemed more muscular. Something else he'd never seen on a man—hair this red. Actually he'd never seen hair this red—except maybe on a youkai. Could this guy be a youkai? He supposed, but he doubted it. Couldn't explain why. But he doubted it. The scar on the redhead's face in the shape of a grave marker—a cross—and the sword at his side convinced Inu Yasha of this: This "unworthy one" was worthy of respect. Of course, if the runt got in his way, Inu Yasha was certain he could kick his ass.

Sanosuke smirked. "Doctor? We're already here."

"Does someone need Genzai-sensei's help?" the redhead asked.

"What about it, dog boy?" Sanosuke increased the pressure on Inu Yasha's back. "Why're you looking for the doc?"

"How about you get the hell off me first!"

"Temper," Sanosuke taunted, and ground his foot into his captive's spine.

With a growl, Inu Yasha stood, hurling Sanosuke away. The fighter let out a cry of surprise and hit the ground. The redhead fingered the hilt of his sword; in contrast to the weapon of destruction, the fingers seemed delicate and feminine. The gesture, though subtle, had a clear meaning. Inu Yasha seethed. He wanted a fight. Wanted it badly. Spike hair—Sano—deserved a good pounding, and this redhead looked able to hold his own. But Inu Yasha was trapped in this weak human body, and the kid still needed help. The redhead must have sensed that Inu Yasha would not attack, for he let his hand drop to his side. A moment later he raised his hand.

"No, Sano," he said.

Inu Yasha's over-the-shoulder glance caught Sanosuke poised for attack. At the redhead's behest, Sanosuke backed off. He pulled a fishbone from somewhere in his gi, and began chewing on it and grumbling.

The redhead approached Inu Yasha, and extended a hand. "Sessha wa Himura Kenshin," he said.

"Inu Yasha. Is the doctor here or ain't he?"

"Sessha means no offense, Inu Yasha-san, but you do not seem to be in need of a doctor, de gozaru yo."

"I ain't got time for this. There's a kid who got himself injured at a shrine outside of town. If you ain't got a doctor here, tell me where one is."

Sanosuke sucked in a breath. "Ah, Kenshin, if I woulda known, I wouldn't have screwed around."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "Stay here, Inu Yasha-san. Sessha will get Genzai-sensei."

"About damn time," he muttered.

Kenshin emerged moments later leading an old man with sleep-filled eyes. He wore a doctor's smock and carried a medical bag. Kenshin secured a hasty promise from Sanosuke to spend the night at the dojo, as long as he didn't have to eat jou-chan's cooking for breakfast (whoever that was), and cast a serious glance at Inu Yasha. "Let's go."

The hanyou who was no longer a hanyou nodded.


	7. My Grandfather the Grade Schooler

Standard disclaimers apply:

Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz.

Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.

Three Days In Tokyo

By

koinekid

Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.

Inu Yasha delivers Genzai to the Sunset shrine. The boy's prognosis looks grim, but Genzai won't let him go without a fight. Kagome comes to a troubling conclusion about her ancestry. Kenshin invites Inu Yasha and Kagome to lunch at the Kamiya dojo. Kagome agrees, much to Inu Yasha's frustration.

* * *

Chapter 7

Inu Yasha, Kenshin and Genzai hurried through the streets at their collective top speed. While Kenshin urged on the sleepy older doctor, Inu Yasha grumbled under his breath. Sunrise couldn't be more than a few hours away. He and Kagome would have to go back through the Bone Eater's Well before then. Kagome would disagree. Even if she were sure she could do nothing else for the boy, she'd want to stay to make sure he would be okay. Keh. Inu Yasha would drag her back through the well if he had to. When the sun rose, youkai blood would again course through his veins, healing the injuries he'd suffered this night and transforming his physical appearance. He could probably conceal his ears. He might be able to pass off his silver hair, claws, and fangs as physical eccentricities, unusual but not unheard of in humans. But he would not be able to explain why he had transformed. Better to slip away and disappear in the darkness.

Kagome wanted to cry. The medical supplies she'd packed for the trip had been exhausted days ago and without them she could do nothing for the boy. Id didn't take much for her to imagine Souta hurt this badly. The physical dissimilarity between the two boys all but dissipated when she she saw burns covering his body.

The boy was not her only concern. His grandfather had barely spoken since Inu Yasha left nearly an hour before. He had shuffled about, gathering what little he could find to help the boy: strips of cloth for bandages, water to keep his body temperature low, spell scrolls and charms--no incense of course. Kagome offered to fetch the supplies for him, but he declined, saying it would take longer for him to explain where everything was located than to get it himself. Kagome doubted his reason, but didn't argue. Seeing his grandson in such pain and being able to do nothing about it had to be eating at him. He had to stay busy. She understood. Jii-chan would often act the same during a crisis.

She wanted to say something, anything, to comfort him. _Ojii-san, everything will be okay, I promise. _How lame did that sound? And (her chest pounded as she thought about it) it might not be true.

"Kagome, I've got the doctor!" The voice came from downstairs.

"Inu Yasha! We're up here." Even as she said it, she realized he probably already knew where they were. They'd been there in the boy's room when Inu Yasha had left, and hadn't wanted to chance moving him. The pounding of feet on the stairs along with the call of "Get a move on, you two!" also confirmed he hasn't forgotten their location.

Inu Yasha entered a moment later accompanied by a older gentleman with kind eyes and a shorter than normal redhead wearing a sword at his side. She had to look twice to be certain of the redhead's sex.

The doctor went to work immediately, kneeling at the boy's side and opening his bag. He extracted several small containers, opened them, and arranged them on the floor. "You, girl," he said to Kagome. "I'm used to having an assistant. Aid me."

Kagome moved to obey, but the grandfather held out a hand to stop her.

"No," he said. "I will help."

The doctor shook his head. " Higurashi-san, you can help by praying. I need young eyes and hands."

"Genzai, I've already prayed. If the gods are listening, they've heard me. Now, please, let me do something."

Just then, as if to punctuate the point, the boy groaned and spasmed in his sleep.

Genzai nodded. "All right. We need to mix these medications and apply them in specific order. Mix these two powders, the brown and the yellow..."

Hig--Higurashi? Kagome's breath caught in her throat. Oh no. Oh no! With all the excitement that had transpired since coming through the well she hadn't been able to seriously consider where it had taken them. She knew the well to be a tunnel through time. But it had seemed to have only two stops--her era and the Sengoku Jidai. And the Sengoku Jidai had always seemed so distant from her era, as if nothing she did in one could affect the other. And it had been her fault the Shikon jewel had been returned to Inu Yasha's time and scattered. Gathering the shards seemed more like making up for her mistake than interfering in the past. But if the well had brought her to another time, a more recent time when her ancestors had already become caretakers of the Sunset shrine, the boy and his grandfather could be her relatives. She may have torched her great-great grandfather. What if he didn't survive? Her legs became rubbery; she sank to her knees.

Inu Yasha was at her side in a second, asking what was wrong. She tried to answer, but couldn't manage more than a sniffle.

"The kid'll be all right. You don't have to worry," he said. He realized he could probably hustle her through the well right now with little struggle. He pictured her asleep in her room. Peaceful--until she saw him again. He wondered if he could survive the amount of sittings she would put him through. Well, too bad! This was for her own good.

"Inu Yasha-dono."

Inu Yasha felt a hand on his shoulder, and whirled around, his hand moving to his sword.

"Perhaps," Kenshin continued, "we should allow Genzai-sensei and Higurashi-dono privacy to do their work."

Kenshin's hand was at his own sword and the look in his eyes made Inu Yasha hesitate. He hadn't intended to attack; Kenshin had only surprised him. But if he wanted a fight... He stood and regarded the swordsman for a moment. There they were--two men, hands on their swords, each half a step from a fighting stance. At full strength, Inu Yasha had no doubt he could best Kenshin. But there was the problem. In his present state he'd already been beaten by a street fighter.

"Himura, If you and this young man are going to kill one another, please do so outside,"

Kenshin's eyes softened. "Sumimasen, Genzai-sensei. Sessha did not mean to disturb you, de gozaru yo. Inu-Yasha-dono, let us talk outside."

"Whatever. Let's go, Kagome." Inu Yasha sighed. So much for slipping away in the dark. Time for the interrogation.

The "interrogation" went surprisingly well. Kenshin's questions were probing but did not seem overly intrusive or accusatory. In fact, Inu Yasha thought he might have given away more than he intended. He'd been so concerned with preventing Kagome from mentioning the well, that he wasn't sure he kept a tight enough reign on his mouth. He wasn't sure quite how it happened but the conversation ended with Kagome agreeing that she and Inu Yasha would lunch at the Kamiya dojo.

As soon as they were alone, Inu Yasha frowned. "Are you stupid, Kagome?"

"Maybe he can help us."

Inu Yasha snorted. "Fat chance. He's a swordsman, not a magician."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Kagome asked. "We don't know anyone here. The best chance we had was probably the old man, and he's-- "

"So ask him."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

She was crying. "After what I did to his grandson..."

The way her lip trembled as she spoke made his heart ache. His arms were wrapped around her before he realized. "Aw, Kagome. It wasn't your fault."

"It's not just that. I think he may be my ancestor."

"The old man? I thought you said he wasn't your grandfather."

"No, not him," she said, "The boy."

"Huh. You're older than him, dummy. That's impossible."

Her tears abated. "I...don't have the energy to explain right now. But trust me. I can't ask him. Let's talk to Kenshin."

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"Kagome, my ears."

"We'll cover them." She illustrated by putting her hands over where they would be. "Like so."

"But Kenshin."

"We'll tell him."

"But..." He exhaled. "Keh."

Kagome smiled. She knew she had won.


	8. Introspection and Imperfection

Standard disclaimers apply:

Inu Yasha and all related characters are property of Takahashi Rumiko and Viz.

Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters are property of Watsuki Nobuhiro and Shounen Jump.

Three Days In Tokyo

By

koinekid

Summary: After exposure to the stomach acid of an ogre carrying a shikon shard, Kagome and Inu Yasha pass through the Bone Eater's Well. Finding themselves in late nineteenth century Tokyo, they must defend Kagome's ancestors and the Sunset Shrine against a vicious attack. Fortunately, they receive help in the form of the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and his companions.

Kenshin heads back to the dojo, and along the way debates whether to begin traveling again once the current events have played out. Inu Yasha is shocked to find the onset of morning has not transformed him back into a hanyou. Kagome, still troubled by her discoveries last chapter, puts on a cheerful façade and teases and comforts Inu Yasha's cares away.

* * *

Chapter 8

Himura Kenshin stood silently on the front steps of the shrine house. He had closed the door and begun to walk away when he heard shouting coming from within. He did not need to concern himself, as the shouting (it was really more like raised voices) ceased after a moment. Kenshin allowed himself a brief smile. Kaoru and Yahiko could be just as loud during their training sessions, and for them, no matter how they strove to deny it, it signaled affection. Yahiko's shout of "I can't get strong this way, busu!" meant "Thanks for training me, Sensei. I really appreciate it." Kaoru's answer of "I told you I'd strangle you if you called me that again!" meant "You're already getting stronger. You have so much potential, my taisetsu deshi." He could imagine Yahiko grumbling, "And I suppose breaking a shinai across my head doubles for a hug." Kenshin shrugged. Maybe not. At any rate, he suspected raised voices meant the same for Kagome and Inu Yasha as for his friends. Perhaps this would be confirmed at noon.

He walked toward the dojo at a leisurely pace. A number of the markets were just opening, and he briefly considered making a few purchases. With company coming for lunch, Kaoru would likely send him out shopping anyway. But a quick check of his pockets confirmed that in his haste he hadn't brought any money.

Before exiting the market district, he returned several greetings, mostly from grateful citizens whom he had defended from Ujiki's corrupt sword-bearing police some months before. There were a few, though, that joked with him, "Surprised Kaoru-san let you our so early!"

"Oro."

After nearly a decade of solitary wandering, it felt odd to be recognized. For a moment, just a moment, he considered bolting. It would be easy. Skip the final turn toward the Kamiya dojo and keep walking out of the city. By the time they figured he wasn't coming back he would be long gone. Why shouldn't he leave? He had not promised to stay forever. Before he realized it, he reached the turn. He paused, foot extended in mid-air, contemplating. He could think of many reasons to go. Tokyo was not the only place in need of a defender. The Seinan War had thrust suffering upon many. In its wake, there remained wrongs begging to be righted by his sakabato. This business with Kagome and Inu Yasha could be something, but he didn't sense any ill will coming from the boy. He was belligerent, to be sure. But his chi didn't seem all that powerful. Kenshin did want an explanation as to why the boy had been hurt. Other than that, he couldn't think of a good reason to stay.

Then Kaoru's face flashed before his eyes. He saw the pain and the tears, saw Tae-dono holding her, softly stroking her hair as she sobbed. "He didn't even say good-bye." Kenshin's decision was made.

He took the turn, and whispered, "Sessha is not leaving today Kaoru-dono, that he is not."

* * *

"What the hell?"

"Inu Yahsa, calm down. There's probably a perfectly reasonable explanation for this."

"Oh yeah? And what's that? It's morning. See the sunlight? I'm standing directly in it and I haven't transformed!"

Kagome tuned out the former hanyou as he began to curse. Sometimes there was no talking to him. Better to let him have his hissy fit than try and interrupt him. This she did, and in a few minutes when he run out of expletives she said, "Look on the bright side."

"Bright side?" he growled, "Yes, I see that it's bright and I'm still human. That's the problem."

So he wasn't finished grumbling yet.

She gave him another moment, and then continued. "The bright side is that a few minutes ago you were worried about telling Kenshin-san you're a hanyou, and now you can keep your secret. We don't even have to find something to cover your ears."

Inu Yasha put his head in his hands. "You just don't get it." He was talking to himself more than to her. He did not elaborate, but his thoughts were morose. If I'm a human I can't protect you. Then what use am I?

"What's so wrong with being human anyway?" Kagome asked. She gave Inu Yasha a moment to answer and when he did not, she continued, "Sango-chan and Miroku-sama are human, and they're really powerful. They've taken on Naraku head to head."

"Keh. Helped me take on Naraku, you mean! Without me he would've killed you guys a long time ago."

"Whatever," Kagome said, walking away.

"Where you going?"

"Kenshin-san invited us for lunch or don't you remember?"

"Course I remember. It's all you been blabbin' about for the last hour. Kenshin-san this! Kenshin-san that! If you like Kenshin so much, why don't you marry him?"

"Hmm." Kagome shook her head. Back home, only grade-schoolers used that old line.

Inu Yasha smiled. He'd upset her. Good. Now maybe she'd shut up and talk about something else.

"If we're stuck in this era permanently, maybe I will."

His jaw dropped. "Y-you don't actually like him, do you?"

"Mmm. I don't know. He is awfully cute. And his red hair is so exotic." This next remark would make him squirm. "And I wouldn't be surprised if he could teach you a thing or two about swordsmanship."

"What? I'll kick his ass any day of the week!"

"Not like this, you won't."

"I..." Inu Yasha looked away.

"I was right. That's what this is all about. Inu Yasha, you're feeling inferior and scared because you're human. I'm not with you because you can protect me. I was in the beginning, sure. But now...I'm with you because you're my friend and...and, I like being with you..." Kagome's heart stopped beating for a moment as she wondered whether she had said too much.

"Kagome."

"Yes, Inu Yasha?"

"I--wait a minute, what do you mean stuck in this era permanently? Can't we just go back through the well?"

The abrupt change in topic left Kagome momentarily speechless. Oh well, she thought, romance isn't an entirely appropriate topic when you've recently set your ancestor on fire and are in danger of being wiped from existence. Come to think of, what is an appropriate topic in this circumstance? She soon recovered. "I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose it might work, but we can't go anywhere until we make sure that boy's going to make it."

"Why the hell not?"

"I don't really feel like talking about it. Maybe later."

"Fine. It's almost noon. Let's get going."

"Inu Yasha, wait. Remember what Kenshin-san said. You can't carry your sword."

"Keh. He carried his around in plain sight."

"That's true," Kagome said, "But he knows the rules here better than we do. I seem to recall that only certain people could carry swords after a certain period." Kagome tapped her finger on her chin, thinking. "What era was that?"

"I don't care. Ain't nobody telling me what I can't do."

"Would you at least hide it? Please, for me."

He exhaled. "Fine."

"Oh, I just remembered. During the Meji period, only cops could carry swords. Maybe Kenshin is a cop."

"He don't look like no cop I ever seen."

"Then maybe he has special permission, or he's so strong no one challenges him on it, sort of a writes his own rules kind of guy. He seemed strong."

"Whatever," Inu Yasha said with a smug grin. "All I know is, he better not get in my way!"

* * *

Next: It's off to the Kamiya dojo for Inu Yasha and Kagome. But what should be a short walk turns into a harrowing ordeal when rogue members of the Sword bearing bent on revenge mistake them for Kaoru and Kenshin. And things go from bad to worse as Inu Yasha's begins transforming from human to hanyou uncontrollably. 


End file.
